The concept of integrated security for warehouse and logistics complexes.
A warehouse, logistics or distribution center is a large storage facility for inventory items, and therefore damage from illegal actions by personnel or external intruders can reach significant amounts and cause serious damage to the profitability of the enterprise. Therefore, security issues require increased attention and an integrated approach.
Approaches to ensuring warehouse security The security system of a warehouse facility must solve the following tasks:
forecasting and timely detection and elimination of threats to the security of personnel and resources of the facility;
creation of a mechanism and conditions for prompt response to threats to security in the functioning of the facility;
effective suppression of threats to the functioning of the facility.
To create an effective security system, it is necessary to analyze the parameters and principles of the warehouse operation, identify the most vulnerable hazardous areas and, using technical and organizational measures, develop an optimal solution that minimizes the likelihood of theft of material assets, poor performance of duties by personnel and emergency situations at the facility.
The main risk areas in warehouses are the landing stage (place of loading/unloading goods), passages between racks, as well as the perimeter of the building and the adjacent territory. In some cases, more expensive goods are stored in a separate room, and, accordingly, it requires additional protection, since in case of theft, losses from theft can be very significant. At all stages of the movement of goods — loading, storage and unloading — the share of concealed goods can be very high. Theft is committed by violating the packaging and completeness of the goods, issuing non-existent returns, writing off supposedly damaged goods. Thefts are committed individually or in collusion between loaders and forwarders, drivers and security, cleaners and goods receivers, etc. Therefore, it is very important to track the entire path of the goods so that in case of loss, information can be retrieved, determine in which area the theft occurred, and identify the offender. The security issue is especially relevant for those warehouses where not one, but several companies operate. In this case, the transparency of the movement of goods must be ensured by 100%.
The ideal solution for a warehouse should be an «all-in-one» solution that is simple, easy to manage and cost-effective. The warehouse security system should consist of both physical security and technical means integrated into a single complex.
Main components of integrated solutions
The technical component of integrated warehouse security can include video surveillance, an access control and management system and a security alarm. In cases where product marking (application of protective labels and tags) occurs in warehouses, electronic anti-theft systems are installed at the exit.
The main module of warehouse security organization is the video surveillance system, which should cover all areas requiring protection. The video surveillance system provides information in the controlled areas of the security service and management of the trading enterprise for prompt decision-making in the event of emergency situations and analysis of the warehouse complex operation.
Security television equipment is designed for visual monitoring of the warehouse area, recording video images to record possible thefts by visitors and personnel, prompt response to emergency situations and remote control of the security service. For the most effective monitoring in warehouses, it is necessary to use color video surveillance cameras, which provide the greatest information content and allow for personal identification.
Another requirement for video surveillance systems is the ability to see the goods from two angles. This is necessary so that at different moments of work with the goods (for example, loading or unloading), the markings fall into the field of view of the video camera, and the security officer clearly sees that work is being done with the same box (package, pallet).
The use of recognition technology is also quite effective in warehouses. A face recognition system allows you to maintain a database and identify drivers, recognize employee faces, identify «friends» and «foes», record violations and compile databases of violators indicating the actions committed, identify and promptly respond to their repeated appearance. A license plate recognition system allows you to automatically register incoming/outgoing vehicles by storing the vehicle number, travel time, and video frame with the image of the vehicle in the database. Such a database allows you to compare data on the facts of vehicle entry/exit, make appropriate notes in the event of violations, and pay closer attention to the security service if this vehicle appears again.
A security alarm makes the work of physical security easier and more effective. For example, if the alarm is triggered, an alarm signal is sent to the central control panel. The security officer on duty promptly transmits information about the scene of the incident to the patrolling guards, and they, in turn, find out the reason for the triggering and immediately respond to the incident.
The access control and management module allows you to receive data on the time and direction of movement of goods, monitor the movement of security personnel (including at night when patrolling the territory), as well as the movement and accounting of working hours of warehouse employees.
Access control and management systems allow you to receive information in the form of reports on which employees were at the place and at the time of the theft. In addition, the system shows attempts at unauthorized entry into a closed area. All this information allows you to find out the details of the offense and identify its participants.
Security systems solve not only the actual security tasks, but also help improve discipline among employees and provide data for analyzing warehouse operations for certain processes. The first thing that is necessary to respond to an emergency situation is to identify the employees who are directly or indirectly involved in the incident. In addition to quickly and objectively identifying the details of an emergency situation, recording the working hours of employees makes it possible to calculate labor costs for the amount of goods processed.
Video surveillance, access control and management systems and security alarms are integrated into a single facility security complex and operate according to a single, well-established algorithm. Information received from each security system allows you to make the right decision and optimally respond to a particular situation.
In addition, the integrated operation of all security systems significantly increases the efficiency of each individual module. For example, if the security alarm is triggered, video camera recording is automatically activated, which records the intruder and subsequently serves as an additional information base for evidence during the investigation of the incident, including in law enforcement agencies.
Features of solutions for warehouse complexes
Modern technical means in a standard configuration have absolutely all the functionality that ensures effective protection of warehouse operations. However, it is necessary to take into account that depending on the size of the warehouse and its range, there may be certain requirements for the technical characteristics of the equipment being implemented. For example, for very large warehouses or warehouses with small goods, high-resolution video cameras with optical zoom are required. This is necessary so that you can zoom in as much as possible, see the details of the packaging or the appearance of a person, license plates for further identification.
In addition, it should be borne in mind that due to high and densely spaced racks blocking the view, the use of stationary cameras in warehouses does not provide the required video monitoring of the warehouse territory. This problem is solved with the help of a mobile rail system, which is used for operational surveillance and provides the most complete coverage of the protected territory. The principle of operation of this system is that the camera is invisible to the eye, moves almost silently along the guide profile at a speed of up to 6 m/s, allows you to track all suspicious actions of violators and continuously accompany them in the maximum possible control areas. At the same time, the camera is almost invisible to the violator — he cannot know at what time the camera is in a particular place.
The efficiency of this system is increased by using a rotating dome video camera in the design, which provides high-speed coverage in the vertical and horizontal planes, eliminates all blind angles and ensures full video coverage of the controlled space regardless of lighting. At the same time, this dome video camera makes it possible to examine an object in the smallest detail due to a 242-fold increase in the object.
IP cameras are also quite relevant for building a security system for warehouse complexes. The use of IP technology in warehouses is convenient because in the event of a change in the video surveillance matrix — moving racks or adjusting protected areas — rearranging the cameras does not require additional costs associated, for example, with laying additional cables. The IP camera is easy to remove and install in a new place.
Service
Any system, even the best one, requires professional technical support from specialists who would prevent possible malfunctions in the equipment. After all, a technical failure can entail quite serious losses that will negate all the costs of implementing a security system.
In this regard, the supplier of security systems or the service company must have the resources to restore the equipment to working order in the shortest possible time. The terms of service contracts must include both the time of the specialist's visit to the site (in hours) and the availability of a replacement fund for the given customer.
The key to prompt response and troubleshooting in the shortest possible time is a well-established technical support system, when the central office of the service company monitors each object of expansion of its client. For example, in the company «SM TRADE» a three-level system is in place to solve this problem: wherever the client is, to receive technical support, he only needs to call the «hotline» dispatcher, who will record his request, identify the problem and, in accordance with the established regulations, transfer it to the appropriate level. The efficiency of this system is due to the process organization scheme, the professionalism of specialists and the width of the network, ensuring prompt response and problem solving in the shortest possible time, regardless of the location of the object.